The Role of Land Use Change in Developing City Spatial Models in Jordan: The Case of the Irbid Master Plan (1970–2017)

Irbid city witnessed a rapid population growth starting from 2003 up to now, which affected the expansion of the city form. This led to awareness of an urgent need to evaluate the current urban planning practices which have been implemented and how responsive they are to land use changes. This paper investigates the role of land use change in determining the spatial model of urban growth in Irbid. The study outlines the development of planning stages from 1970 to 2017. It also explores the temporal and spatial characteristics of urban expansion by analyzing Irbid city maps at different time intervals. Quantitative methods are used by employing GIS. The literature presents the impact of developing land uses on the expansion of the city borders, and identifies the spatial patterns of urban growth. The study concludes with a spatial model of the city comprising structural plans and practical recommendations for Irbid urban development for a better understanding of the city expansion pattern. It also predicts the way of city urban development, thereby identifying its influence on land use changes. This model is, therefore, valuable for informing policy or responding to current planning practices in Irbid and other similar cities nearly considered irregular pattern

Toward sustainable urban growth: Spatial modeling for the impact of cultural and natural heritage on city growth and their role in developing sustainable tourism

Increased population density is mainly linked to urban and infrastructural expansion. This expansion leads to urban sprawl which is connected to land cover change and social and ecological transformation. Urban boundaries can expand towards cultural and natural heritage sites. This is an evaluation of how our culture and natural heritage affect urban growth and their relation to sustainable tourism which has become an urgent need. The study outlines the development of four cities in Jordan from 1996 to 2020. It also explores the impact of cultural heritage on natural heritage in the delivery of urban city growth and its role in developing sustainable tourism. ​Quantitative method has been used by employing GIS and qualitative method by using case studies. The study concludes with an exploration of the relationship between natural and cultural sites as well as the relationship of tourism and population density with cultural heritage site encroachment. This conclusion has contributed towards the provision of a model that consists of multi recommendations for decision-makers in order to preserve the cultural and natural heritage areas through developing sustainable tourism and creating sustainable communities. The significance of this study is that it is the first study that discusses the increase of encroachment on natural and cultural sites, and the impact of tourism on this. This study also enhances knowledge by providing a tool for evaluating the expected level of preservation for cultural and natural heritage sites, and the extent to which cities are transformed from tourist cities (with populations that pass through) to tourist accommodations cities